Friedman Benda and Droog Design are pleased to present Smart Deco, a period room of the 21st century at Design Miami 2006, December 7-10, 2006. Smart Deco represents an authentic expression reflecting the zeitgeist of cutting-edge design, as well as timeless necessity. We live in dynamic times in which boundaries are dissolved, and smart solutions are integrated with traditional styles, materials and techniques. It is a time of craftsmanship, nostalgia, tradition and decoration, but it is also one of globalization, technological innovation, and shifting aesthetics. Cutting-edge design has come a long way from the premise of functionality. Smart Deco intends to build a platform for designers creating art and artists creating design.
The Smart Deco period room is furnished with specially designed works, all small editions, created by 10 of Europe’s most innovative designers, architects, and artists, including Marcel Wanders, Joris Laarman, and Atelier van Lieshout. Each participant was asked to reflect on the concept of a contemporary period room and determine which elements he or she wanted to create. Each had complete freedom to choose forms, materials, and aesthetics with the final result curated by Droog Design and Friedman Benda. With a common commitment to engage the viewer and to create works of the highest quality, our installation will emphasize the blurring of boundaries between art and design, traditional fine craftsmanship and innovative high-tech concepts and materials.
Smart Deco is a carefully arranged room with beautiful objects that are a sign of our times. We see a chair designed as nature might have created it, next to candleholders inspired by Japanese erotic drawings. We see chairs treated as jewellery, and we see animated wallpaper. There is a table made of twigs that have been forced into its desired shape by pressure; a crocheted chair hardened by epoxy; and a bookshelf built from contemporary products, like a skateboard and laptop, which can be considered an antique of the future. A table in the shape of a woman’s torso is placed next to mirrors depicting man’s identification with cars. The products are smart and decorative. The result is Smart Deco.
All works will be available through Friedman Benda in the United States and Droog Design in Europe.
